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Older Youth Initiatives

The Older Youth Initiatives (OYI) program encompasses Older Youth Services (OYS), Collaborative Care, and Voluntary Services. OYS were formerly known as the Chafee Independent Living Services. OYS and Collaborative Care are sets of services and supports used in order to assist older youth successfully achieve their case plan goal. OYS and Collaborative Care are primarily focused on helping those youth who are expected to turn 18 in foster care, but the programs can be implemented concurrently with other goals like reunification and adoption. Voluntary Services are a set of services for youth who have “aged out” of the foster care system. These services are geared to assisting former foster youth in the areas of housing, employment, and education.

The primary purposes of the OYS program are:

Identify youth who are expected to remain in foster care until their 18th birthday or after and assist them make the transition to self-sufficiency.

Older Youth Initiatives is designed as a continuum of care beginning at age 16 with an extension of foster care until the youth turns 20 years of age and voluntary services as a safety net for older youth age 20-21.

Indiana Extended Foster Care Program – Collaborative Care
The Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 is federal legislation that was written to provide assistance from the federal government to states in order to improve outcomes for children and youth in foster care. Through this legislation states may extend and allow for reentry into foster care. Collaborative Care is Indiana extended foster care program. Collaborative Care is designed for young adults age 18 up to 20 who voluntarily request to remain or reenter into foster care with services.

Voluntary Older Youth Services
Indiana provides voluntary services to young adults who were formerly in foster care a minimum of six (6) months and aged out of foster care at age 18, Collaborative Care closes at age 20 or obtained adoption or guardianship on or after the youth’s 16th birthday. Services are available up to the day before the youth’s 21st birthday.

Indiana Youth Bill of Rights
The Indiana Youth Bill of Rights is a document that describes the rights of Indiana’s foster youth with respect to education, health, visitation, and court participation, the right to be provided various document, the right to stay safe and avoid exploitation.

The Indiana Youth Bill of Rights should be provided to every foster youth in out of home care at beginning at the age of 14 or when they enter care and every six (6) months thereafter. This document must be explained in an age-appropriate way and signed by the youth.

Indiana Youth Bill of Rights Summary:
Foster youth of the State of Indiana who are involved in a Child in Need of Services (CHINS), Collaborative Care (CC), or Delinquency Court case, are entitled to a voice and an opinion in decisions that will impact their lives. These basic rights during the life of the case and safety is paramount in the case. Reasonable restrictions, including court orders, may be imposed on the time, place, and manner in which rights can exercised. Youth have the right to be informed of these restrictions and the reasons for them in a manner that we can understand.

The view the full version of the Indiana Youth Bill of Rights, select the following link.